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Diseases O - P

A disorder in which the normal replenishment of old bone tissue is severely disrupted, resulting in weakened bones and increased risk of fracture; osteopenia results when bone-mass loss is significant but not as severe as in osteoporosis. Although osteoporosis can occur in anyone, it is most common in thin white women after menopause.

Bone mass is typically at its greatest during a person's mid-twenties; after that point there is a gradual reduction in bone mass as bone is not replenished as quickly as it is resorbed. In postmenopausal women the production of estrogen, a hormone that helps maintain the levels of calcium and other minerals necessary for normal bone regeneration, drops off dramatically, resulting in an accelerated loss of bone mass of up to 3% per year over a period of five to seven years.

Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of bone-mass loss; a diet high in protein and sodium also speed calcium loss. The disorder also has a genetic component. A vitamin D receptor gene that affects calcium uptake and bone density has been identified, and the different forms of this gene appear to correlate with differences in levels of bone density among osteoporosis patients.

Osteoporosis has no early symptoms and is usually not diagnosed until a fracture occurs, typically in the hip, spine, or wrist. A diagnostic bone density test is thus recommended as a preventive measure for women at high risk.

Although pars planitis is generally benign, there can be significant vision loss in extreme cases. It is an immunological disorder of the eye characterized by inflammation of a part of the uvea, the layer of tissue between the sclera and the retina, the membranes protecting the eyeball. The uvea, in turn, is made up of three portions: the iris, the ciliary body, and the choroid. In addition, the uvea contains many of the blood vessels that supply the eye.

The pars plana is a narrow section of the ciliary body, inflammation of which is known as pars planitis. In association with the inflammation or immunological response, fluid and cells infiltrate the clear gelatin-like substance (vitreous humor) of the eyeball, near the retina and/or pars plana. As a result, swelling of the eye or eyes can also occur, but more importantly blurred vision and progressive increase in the vision of floaters is reported as main symptoms by patients suffering this condition as a result of the infiltration of the vitreous humor. The inflammation occurs in the intermediate zone of the eye; that is, between the anterior part(s) of the eye (iris) and the posterior part(s), the retina and/or choroid.

There are several types of pemphigus which vary in severity: pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigus foliaceus, Intraepidermal neutrophilic IgA dermatosis, and paraneoplastic pemphigus.

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV -ICD-10 L10.0) is the most common form of the disorder and occurs when antibodies attack Desmoglein 3. Sores often originate in the mouth, making eating difficult and uncomfortable. Although pemphigus vulgaris may occur at any age, it is most common among people between the ages of 40 and 60. It is more frequent among Ashkenazi Jews. Rarely, it is associated with myasthenia gravis. Nail disease may be the only finding and has prognostic value in management.

A group of disorders manifested by subnormal functioning of more than one endocrine gland. Type I is characterized by the appearance of mucocutaneous candidiasis, often occurring in childhood, and is associated with hypoparathyroidism and adrenal insufficiency. It occurs in siblings, without involvement of other generations in the family. Type II involves primary adrenal insufficiency and primary thyroid failure occurring in the same patient for unclear reasons. Many of these patients have an autoimmune disorder and form antibodies against cellular fractions of many endocrine glands. Type II is also called Schmidt's syndrome. Also called Polyendocrine Deficiency Syndromes, Polyglandular Autoimmune Diseases.

A condition is said to be "autoimmune" when antibodies and immune cells are launched by the body against one or several antigens of its own tissues. Since most of the target antigens have now been discovered, the corresponding auto-antibodies can often be measured in the blood as markers for the ongoing autoimmune disease to which they correspond.

Polymyalgia Rheumatica (which takes its name from the word "polymyalgia" which means "pain in many muscles" in Greek followed by the term "rheumatica") abbreviated as PMR, is a syndrome with pain or stiffness, usually in the neck, shoulders, and hips. The pain can be very sudden, or can occur gradually over a period. It may be caused by an inflammatory condition of blood vessels such as temporal arteritis. Most PMR sufferers wake up in the morning with pain in their muscles; however, there have been cases in which the patient has developed the pain during the evenings. Patients who have polymyalgia rheumatica may also have temporal arteritis, a potentially dangerous inflammation of blood vessels in the face. PMR is usually treated with courses of oral corticosteroids. Most people need to continue the corticosteroid treatment for two to three years. PMR usually goes away on its own in a year or two, but medications and self-care measures can improve the rate of recovery. Symptoms include:

Pain and stiffness (moderate to severe) in the neck, shoulders, and hips, which inhibits activity, especially in the morning/after sleeping.

Fatigue and lack of appetite (possibly leading to weight loss) are also indicative of polymyalgia rheumatica.

Polymyositis (PM) is an inflammatory disorder in which muscle tissue becomes inflamed and deteriorates, causing weakness and pain. It is one of several types of inflammatory muscle disease, or myopathy. Others include dermatomyositis (DM) and inclusion body myositis. All three types are progressive conditions, usually beginning in adulthood. A fourth type, juvenile dermatomyositis, occurs in children. Although PM and DM can occur at any age, 60% of cases appear between the ages of 30 and 60. Females are affected twice as often as males.

The cause of PM and DM is not known, but it is suspected that a variety of factors may play a role in the development of these diseases. PM and DM may be autoimmune diseases, caused by the immune system's attack on the body's own tissue. The reason for this attack is unknown, although some researchers believe that a combination of immune system susceptibility and an environmental trigger may explain at least some cases.

Although the cause of this serious condition is not known, it has many features to suggest that it is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmunity describes the process whereby the body's defense mechanisms are turned against itself. The immune system is supposed to recognize and attack only dangerous foreign invaders like germs, but many times it attacks, for no apparent reason, the cells of the body itself. Autoimmune reactions occur in many different tissues of the body, creating a great variety of diseases.

Primary biliary cirrhosis progressively destroys the system that drains bile from the liver into the intestines. Bile is a collection of waste products excreted by the liver. As the disease progresses it also scars the liver, leading to cirrhosis. In some patients, the disease destroys the liver in as little as five years. In others, it may lie dormant for a decade or more.

Primary sclerosing (skluh-ROHS-ing) cholangitis (koh-lan-JIE-tis) is a disease of the bile ducts in your liver. The term "cholangitis" in primary sclerosing cholangitis refers to inflammation of the bile ducts, while the term "sclerosing" describes the hardening and scarring of the bile ducts that result from chronic inflammation.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a progressive disease that leads to liver damage and, eventually, liver failure. Liver transplant is the only known cure for primary sclerosing cholangitis, but transplant is typically reserved for people with severe liver damage.

An immune-mediated disease that affects the skin. It is typically a lifelong condition. There is currently no cure, but various treatments can help to control the symptoms.

Psoriasis occurs when the immune system mistakes a normal skin cell for a pathogen, and sends out faulty signals that cause overproduction of new skin cells. It is not contagious. Psoriasis has been linked to an increased risk of stroke, and treating high blood lipid levels may lead to improvement. There are five types of psoriasis: plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular, and erythrodermic. The most common form, plaque psoriasis, is commonly seen as red and white hues of scaly patches appearing on the top first layer of the epidermis (skin). Some patients, though, have no dermatological signs or symptoms. The name psoriasis (ψωρίασις) is from the Greek language, meaning roughly "itching condition" (psora"itch" + -sis "action, condition").

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R. A.A.I.D.(Raising Awareness ofAuto - immune Disease)

An organization created by Weishendo Publications which is dedicated to Raising the Awareness of Auto-immune Diseases, by using multimedia as a platform to reach others. We are committed to reaching those who are unaware of the effects, by sharing knowledge about these and other illnesses, and how they affect our society.